in this issue: 3resume to: nominating committee chair, c/o margaret maly, wisconsin historical...

Columns

Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846

In thIs Issue:

On June 30 the Society completed its historic Forward! Campaign. One of the most visible results of the campaign to date is the rapidly progressing construction of the new Visitor Center and Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum at Wade House (pictured above). The Society thanks supporters for making this initiative and so many others possible through the campaign. See the story on pages 2 and 3.

T h e N e w s l e T T e r o f T h e w i s c o N s i N h i s T o r i c a l s o c i e T y Vol. 33 nos. 5 and 6 | Issn 0196-1306 | autumn 2012

3 Forward! Campaign Concludes

4 New Book Toasts Wisconsin Bars and Breweries

10Area Research Centers Celebrate 50 Years

2 Director’s Column

5 Historic Preservation

6 Local History

8 Events Calendar

13 | Member Profile

14 | wisconsin historical foundation

15 | statewide Programs and locations

DA

VID

SIM

MO

NS

W11212_Columns_Autumn12.indd 1 9/18/12 4:54 PM

2 Columns wisconsinhistory.org

Director’s Column

Ellsworth H. BrownThe Ruth and Hartley Barker Director

nominations to the Board of Curators

The Nominating Committee of the Board of Curators nominates Society members for election to the board. Voting members of the Society may suggest a candidate for board service by submitting the candidate’s name and a brief resume to: Nominating Committee Chair, c/o Margaret Maly, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706 or via email to [email protected].

Members may also nominate a prospective candidate by petition. In addition to its nominees, the Nominating Committee will place in nomination the name of any member presented to it by a petition signed by 25 members of the Society, provided that the signatures are gathered between January 31 and March 2 of each year and submitted to the committee by March 2.

Upon request, any member seeking to prepare such a petition shall have access to the names and addresses of the Society’s members. A petition template is also available upon request. Such requests may be sent to the above-listed name and address.

ColumnsBob Granflaten, Editor Composure Graphics, Designer

Published quarterly by the Wisconsin Historical Society and distributed to members as part of their dues. Full membership levels begin at $45 for individuals and $65 for institutions (rates subject to change). To join or for more information about membership, visit our website at support.wisconsinhistory.org or contact the Membership Office at 888-748-7479, email [email protected], or write to the Membership Office at the address below. Address inquiries about this publication to the editor, Columns. Media may reprint any article provided credit is given to the Wisconsin Historical Society and Columns. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, Wisconsin. Postmaster, send address changes to: Columns, Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706.

It is my distinct pleasure to announcethe successful culmination of Forward! The Campaign for the Wisconsin Historical Society.

WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT from the state of Wisconsin, individuals, foundations, Society members and so many others, we have exceeded our $77 million goal, thereby completing the first major fundraising campaign in the Society’s 166-year history.

Public-sector support was crucial to the campaign’s success. Both Governors Jim Doyle and Scott Walker strongly supported our goals, and complementary legislative support from both parties went a long way toward ensuring a successful outcome, with the particular assistance of Board of Curators members, Senators Fred Risser and Dale Schultz, and Representatives Terese Berceau and Steve Kestell.

We owe a great debt of thanks to Craig Culver, chairman of the Forward! Campaign, and his wife Lea for their outstanding leadership and generosity and to the members of the Campaign Cabinet for their wise counsel and guidance. Their verve and vision helped chart a course that leveraged important lead gifts: $2.5 million from Ruth and the late Hartley Barker, which endowed the director’s chair that bears their name and which I am proud to hold; and $3 million each from the Kohler Trust for Preservation and the Mark Jung family. The latter two gifts, combined with $6.5 million provided by the state, made possible the new Visitor Center and Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum at Wade House, which will open in June of 2013.

The staff of both the Society and the Wisconsin Historical Foundation, the Society’s private, nonprofit fundraising partner, also worked tirelessly to keep the campaign’s goals and initiatives in sharp focus before the public. And I also thank you, the Society’s members, for all you did to join what became not just a fundraising campaign, but a movement that has enabled the Society to begin transforming the way we share stories in the 21st century.

In addition to the Wade House project mentioned above and pictured on the cover, here are some of the milestones we’ve met through the Forward! Campaign: a new facility at Old World Wisconsin used for training interpreters and caring for the museum’s extensive collection of period attire; a painstakingly restored and renovated Library Reading Room in the Society’s headquarters building that returns the room to the elegance of its original architectural style while furnishing the space to meet 21st-century needs; an endowment supporting expert conservation personnel on the Society’s staff; a soon-to-be constructed and much-needed, state-of-the-art preservation storage facility; and a dramatically improved wisconsinhistory.org (being launched one section at a time over the next 12 months).

The Society owes a debt of gratitude to you and to so many others too numerous to mention on the following page. We profoundly thank everyone who had a hand in the success of the Forward! Campaign. •


a u T u M N 2 0 1 2 3wisconsinhistory.org

Campaign News

ruth and hartley Barker advised fund through incourage community foundationThe Mark Jung familyKohler Trust for PreservationGordon V. and helen c. smith foundationstate of wisconsin

Diane Kay BallwegThe f. Dohmen co. foundationJohn J. frautschi family foundationsally Mead hands foundationJeffris family foundation ltd.halbert & alice Kadish foundationNational endowment for the humanitiesPreserve america – National Park service, u.s. Department of the interiorJulia a. and David V. uihlein, Jr.wisconsin Department of Transportation, local enhancements Program

anonymous (2)lynde and harry Bradley foundationDavid cronon* family TrustThe craig and lea culver familyThe evjue foundation, inc., the charitable arm of The capital Timesrockne and Joanne flowersMr. and Mrs. robert e. francisMrs. Peter D. humleker, Jr. claire and Marjorie Johnson

robert and Dorothy lueningMead witter foundationTom and Nancy Mohswilliam o. Petersen*Jane Bradley Pettit foundation

anonymous Bruce and Melissa BlockThe will and ruth Bloedow familyrobert* and anne BolzPatrick and anna M. cudahy fundDohmen family foundationDaniel erdmanBob and sharon Gilson in memory of rebecca Gilsoncleary-Kumm foundationMr. and Mrs. Kurt w. JungKaren e. and Peter PridmorePatty schmittuniversity of wisconsin - Madison

anonymous (2)Baird foundationBaker Tilly llPTom and renee Boldtellsworth and Dorothy BrownMark and Janet GajewskiMark and Melinda heinritzDick and Donna holscherMark and ilene laufmanThe Marcus corporationGeorge h. Miller*ruth M. schoenfeld Dave and Maggie stoeffelNatalie TinkhamDorothea V. walkerwisconsin Department of Transportation

anonymous (2)Judd s. alexander foundationamerican family insuranceallan G. and Margaret r. BogueBriggs & stratton corporation foundation, inc.edwin e. & Janet l. Bryant foundationThomas and Mary Buestrincaxambas foundationatty. Kenneth conger*laurie and Bruce DavidsonThe richard h. Driehaus charitable lead TrustfrieNDs of the wisconsin historical societyc. frederick Geilfuss ii and anne hamiltonalicia l. and Jerry D. Goehringconrad and sandra GoodkindMichael and sherry Gotzlerhenry G. herzingcarolyn and wm. Pharis hortonDonald f. hultsThe henry Jung familyagnes M. leerowland and audrey McclellanPaul f. Meissner*George l.N. Meyer family foundation, inc.Judy K. NagelMary and irvin sathercG schmidtedwin P. and Barbara M. wileywisconsin Preservation fund, inc.Dave and sandy Zweifel

*In memoriam

thank You for Joining the movement!oN JuNe 30 the wisconsin historical society completed its historic Forward! campaign, securing gifts and pledges of $77.6 million, exceeding its $77 million goal.

The wisconsin historical society and the wisconsin historical foundation extend their deepest thanks to the individuals and organizations who invested in the bold vision of the Forward! campaign. we are pleased to recognize those whose campaign contributions reached $10,000 and above as of June 30, 2012. W

HI 1

0855



new society Press Book toasts Wisconsin’s historic Bars and Breweries

Fall Books highlight state’s architects, Wisconsin at War and a historic River

News

MUCH OF THE WORLD knows Wisconsin by its storied beer and brewing traditions alone. Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries celebrates the state’s well-known bar culture and the taverns and breweries that fueled it. Authors Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz chose 70 unique and historic saloons, bars, taverns and breweries to illustrate how Wisconsin came to dominate brewing and how bars came to dominate Wisconsin’s social and cultural history. Beginning with inns and saloons, the book explores the rise of taverns and breweries, the effects of temperance and Prohibition, and attitudes about gender, ethnicity and morality. It traces the development of the megabreweries, dominance of the giants, and the emergence of microbreweries.

Bottoms Up is the most recent of the Society Press’ “Places Along the Way” series.

Featured taverns and breweries represent diverse architectural styles, from the open-air Tom’s Burned Down Café on Madeline Island to the Art Moderne Casino in La Crosse, and from Club 10, a 1930s roadhouse in Stevens Point, to the well-known Wolski’s Tavern in Milwaukee. There are bars in barns and basements and brewpubs in former ice cream factories and railroad depots. Bottoms Up also includes a heady mix of such beer-related topics as ice harvesting, barrel making, bar games, Old-Fashioneds, bar fixtures and the queen of the bootleggers.

Contemporary photographs of unusual and distinctive bars and breweries of all eras, historical photos, postcards, advertisements and breweriana complete the authors’ toast to what they call “our tavern state.” Discover featured bars for yourself on the Bottoms Up map at whspress.tumblr.com/BottomsUp. •

Building taliesin: Frank lloyd Wright’s home of love and lossby Ron McCrea

Through letters, memoirs, contemporary documents and a stunning assemblage of photographs — many of which have never before been published — Building Taliesin tells the fascinating story of the creation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed Spring Green home. Photos taken by Wright’s associates show rare views of Taliesin under construction.

life, death, and archaeology at Fort Blue mounds: a settlers’ Fortification of the Black hawk Warby Robert A. Birmingham

Life, Death, and Archaeology at Fort Blue Mounds illuminates the lives of white settlers in the lead-mining region during the Black Hawk War. This archaeological detective story details the history of the fort and transports readers to the site decades later, when the author and fellow Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists unearthed the fort’s artifacts.

Jens Jensen: Writings Inspired by natureWilliam H. Tishler, Editor

Jens Jensen is a collection of writings by America’s premier landscape architects and one of its pioneering conservationists.

this Wicked Rebellion: Wisconsin Civil War soldiers Write homeJohn Zimm, EditorMichael Edmonds, Foreword

Drawing from more than 11,000 letters in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Civil War collection, This Wicked Rebellion provides a unique and intimate glimpse of the men and women who took part in the War for the Union 150 years ago.

the Bark River Chronicles: stories from a Wisconsin Watershedby Milton J. Bates

The Bark River Chronicles follows this scenic Wisconsin river, and its history, through Milwaukee County and its confluence with the Rock River to Lake Koshkonong. •

For more information about these and other Wisconsin Historical Society Press books, or to order a copy online, just visit wisconsinhistory.org/whspress. Most books are also available at the Wisconsin Historical Museum store at 30 North Carroll Street on Madison’s Capitol Square.



Historic Preservation

THE SOCIETY’S MARITIME preservation program conducted a phase-two archaeological survey of the remains of the immense wooden bulk carrier, Australasia, in a five-day dive in June that allowed members of the public to follow along with the dive team’s work from on shore. The Australasia shipwreck site lies in 22 feet of water 300 yards off the beach at Whitefish Dunes State Park in Door County. With help from six volunteer divers, Society archaeologists created a scaled drawing of the site that includes detailed construction features and associated artifacts that remain around the wreck site. The ship, one of several floating, wooden behemoths built by the James Davidson Shipyard in West Bay City, Michigan, caught fire, burned to the waterline and sank with a cargo of coal on October 17, 1896.

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute funded the project, and UW Sea Grant videographer John Karl joined the Australasia survey team to chronicle the project in a video blog that you can view on UW Sea Grant’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/UWASC.

A Twofold Outreach ProgramIn partnership with Whitefish Dunes State Park, the project included a twofold outreach program while the Australasia survey was underway. One popular component was the daily “Ask Diver Paul” program, in which Society volunteer Paul Bentley answered questions from park visitors on the nearby beach via a marine radio aboard the research vessel. Bentley answered many interesting questions that ranged from the Australasia’s service history to descriptions

of what the divers were doing and seeing on the bottom. A spotting telescope on the beach allowed park visitors to watch divers entering and exiting the water as well as to keep abreast of the activity occurring on the research vessels. More than 300 park visitors were able to ask questions, and many others set up beach towels on the sand nearby to listen to the question-and-answer sessions. Additionally, several kayakers paddled out to the research vessels and were able to view the shipwreck and the working divers from the surface.

During an evening meet-and-greet session at the park’s nature center, co-sponsored by the Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park, Society archaeologists and volunteers presented archaeological research and vessel history to members of the Friends group and the local community. They also unveiled the first panel of a four-panel exhibit on the Australasia. The new exhibit panel features a rotating screen of captioned historic and underwater images of the Australasia. The remaining three panels will include information gathered from the archaeological survey and will include a model of the ship’s construction features that were common to many Davidson-built vessels. The full exhibit will be completed and installed over the winter of 2012-2013.

More Dives in 2013This year’s survey was the first component of a two-year project to document the two remaining unsurveyed vessels built at the James Davidson Shipyard that still lie in Wisconsin waters. Underwater archaeologists will tackle the second component of the project, a survey of the Adriatic shipwreck site offshore from Sturgeon Bay, in 2013. Over the maritime program’s 24 years, Society archaeologists have documented four other Davidson-built vessels whose remains lie in Wisconsin waters. •

door County underwater archaeology survey used as Public outreach tool

Divers explore the wreck of the Australasia

TA

MA

RA

TH

OM

SE

N



Local History

THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY has awarded its highest honors for achievements in the field of local history — the 2012 Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy — to the Sheboygan County Historical Society. The local historical society earned the award for its longstanding work in preserving the heritage of Sheboygan County. From its headquarters in Sheboygan, the society has been serving the Sheboygan County community since 1923, the same year it became an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The Sheboygan County Historical Society has nearly 600 members, as many as 400 volunteers and operates a museum that attracts more than 11,000 visitors annually. The museum complex includes: a stately brick building (pictured here) reflecting the era of 1850-1900; the 1864 Weinhold Family Homestead; the 1890s

Schuchardt Barn with rural agricultural displays; and the 1867 Bodenstab Cheese Factory with early commercial cheese making implements.

A recent addition of 20,000 square feet to the museum features seasonal displays, temporary exhibits, a classroom and the museum store. The local historical society also maintains several ambitious educational programs that include the full-day student education program, considered by many professional educators as a model for other museums and historical societies throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

Named for the Wisconsin Historical Society’s second director, the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy recognizes one local historical society each year that has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a record of success in collecting and preserving local history in its various forms. •

sheboygan County historical society takes the 2012 Reuben Gold thwaites trophy

The Judge David Taylor House serves as the Sheboygan County Historical Society’s historic house museum

SH

EB

OY

GA

N C

OU

NT

Y H

IST

OR

ICA

L M

US

EU

M

2012 Mini-Grant awardsEach year, local affiliates of the Society may apply for a mini-grant of up to $700 to help fund collections care and management projects. The 2012 program was a great success. We awarded 30 grants totaling $14,975 this summer. The Society and Wisconsin Council for Local History partner to offer the program, which supports the purchase of archival supplies, software for managing collections, technology for digitization projects and much more. For more information on the mini-grant program, contact Rick Bernstein at (608) 264-6583 or Janet Seymour at (715) 836-2250.

Congratulations to the 2012 recipients:

Albion Academy Historical Society — Computer technology

Bark River Woods Historical Society — Archival supplies

Burnett County Historical Society — Archival supplies

Concord Historical Society — Storage supplies

Dodge County Historical Society — Archival supplies

Dunn County Historical Society — Digitization equipment

Gordon-Wascott Historical Society — Archival supplies

Heritage Military Music Foundation — Musical Instrument care

Howard-Suamico Historical Society — Archival supplies

Jump River Valley Historical Society — Archival supplies

Lafayette County Historical Society — Archival supplies

Lake States Railway Historical Association — Archival supplies

Langlade County Historical Society — Archival supplies

Marquette County Historical Society — Past Perfect software

Mason Area Historical Society — Archival supplies

Menomonee Falls Historical Society — Scanner and supplies

New Berlin Historical Society — Archival supplies

North Wood County Historical Society — Archival supplies

Oulu Historical Society — Past Perfect

Pierce County Historical Association — Archival Supplies

Portage Historical Society — Archival Supplies

Rock County Historical Society — Past Perfect software upgrade

Sauk Prairie Area Historical Society — Archival supplies

Sheboygan County Historical Research Center — Dehumidifiers

St. Nazianz Area Historical Society — Archival supplies

Tomah Area Historical Society — Archival supplies

Tomorrow River Valley Historical Society — Past Perfect software

Washburn Area Historical Society — Past Perfect

Whitewater Historical Society — Collections storage



Local History

THE YEAR 2011 proved to be an excellent one for affiliated local historical societies. In addition to the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy (see page 6), together they swept five more of the Society’s 10 awards for achievements in documenting, preserving and disseminating Wisconsin history, presented annually in June of the following year.

Governor’s Awards for Archival AchievementTwo local historical societies received recognition for their work in archival achievement. The Lake States Railway Historical Association of Baraboo received the Governor’s Award for Archival Achievement for its work in preserving railroading history. Founded in 2006, the association is “dedicated to the expansion and dissemination of knowledge on the history of railroading.” The organization collects bibliographic materials, archival records and three-dimensional artifacts. The group’s stated goals emphasize making their “collections available for researchers and the public, and ensuring that retrieval of specific collection items can be achieved readily using modern finding aids.

The Monroe County Local History Room and Museum in Sparta earned a second Governor’s Award for Archival Achievement. Established in 1976, the Monroe County Local History Room and Museum operates a research library, archives and a collection of museum artifacts. Although the organization continues to serve a varied clientele at the headquarters building in Sparta, the organization’s leadership recognized the need to improve access to the research collections via the Internet. Launched in early 2007, the group’s modest online resource has since expanded into a robust, user-friendly resource featuring 16 indexes containing more than half a million searchable entries.

Museum Exhibit AwardsThe Society offers two awards in the category of museum exhibits: one for a museum with an annual operating budget of more than $50,000 and another for a museum with an annual operating budget of less than $50,000. The Outagamie Historical Society’s History Museum at the Castle in Appleton took the first award for its exhibit, “Progressive Appleton: Through the Lens of W.D. Schlafer.” The exhibit is based on a collection of celluloid nitrate negatives, glass-plate negatives and a printed album from Appleton resident Wilmer D. Schlafer depicting the city between 1893-1920, a collection rarely published and never before exhibited.

The Neenah Historical Society earned the second award for its exhibit, “The Pentagon and the Architecture of George Edwin Bergstrom,” part of the local historical society’s “Neenah Notables” program. G.E. Bergstrom, born and raised in Neenah, was one of America’s premier architects during the first half of the 20th century, famous for his design of the Pentagon. The exhibit chronicled the remarkable story of how the Pentagon went from concept to occupancy in less than a year, with groundbreaking on Sept. 11, 1941.

Public Program AwardThe Neenah Historical Society took home a second award, the Public Program Award, for its “Neenah Notables” program, of which the Pentagon exhibit referenced above is a part. The local historical society’s program took place over several months in the fall and winter of 2011. The Neenah Historical Society designed the program in response to its mission of focusing on the stories of the community’s many noteworthy citizens. A panel of judges recommended the local historical society for the award, calling the program extremely well researched and citing its large following, due partly to the outstanding promotion and design of the marketing materials. The panel also noted that the series made use of varying forms of public programming. •

local history highlightLocal Historical Societies Sweep Five Society Awards

LA

KE

ST

AT

ES

RA

ILW

AY

HIS

TO

RIC

AL

AS

SO

CIA

TIO

NH

IST

OR

Y M

US

EU

M A

T T

HE

CA

ST

LE

Lake States Railway Historical Association volunteer Robert Ristow with a group of mechanical drawings from the association’s Chicago & North Western Railway collection

Visitors peruse exhibits at Appleton’s History Museum at the Castle



The following are special event highlights for the Autumn 2012 quarter. For a complete listing of events, visit wisconsinhistory.org/calendar.

> o C t o B e Roctober 13 Breakfast in a Victorian Kitchenhands-on cooking workshop for adults. Villa louis. 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. $40. ($35 for society members). (608) 326-2721 or [email protected]

october 13 – 14 autumn Celebrationseasonal games, hot cider, scary stories, horse-drawn wagon rides. Wade house. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (920) 526-3271 or [email protected]

october 13 – 14 autumn on the Farmssee draft horses at work, take a horse-drawn wagon ride, and help prepare the farms for winter. old World Wisconsin. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. sunday (262) 594-6301 or [email protected]

october 20 hearthside dinnerexperience the 1860s as you prepare and enjoy a meal in the kitchens of the wade house stagecoach inn. Wade house. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. $45. (920) 526-3271 or [email protected]

october 21 the light Keeper’s legacy Book launch and signingMystery writer Kathleen ernst presents The Light Keeper’s Legacy, the latest in her chloe ellefson mystery series. old World Wisconsin. 1 – 5 p.m. (262) 594-6301 or [email protected]

october 27 halloween at Villa louishistoric figures will hand out treats and historic facts. Villa louis Visitor Center. 6 – 8 p.m. (608) 326-2721 or [email protected]

october 27 hearthside dinnersee the october 20 event description. Wade house. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. $45. (920) 526-3271 or [email protected]

> n o V e m B e RNovember 8 – 10 a new Knitting heritage museum?This symposium will explore the idea of creating a museum dedicated to the heritage of knitting and crochet. Wisconsin historical society, 816 state street, madison. (313) 600-1670 or knitheritagemuseum@ gmail.com

November 10 hearthside dinnersee the october 20 event description. Wade house. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. $45. (920) 526-3271 or [email protected]

November 10 supper with the Villa louis servantshands-on cooking in the mansion’s kitchen. Villa louis. 2 – 7 p.m. For adults. $45. (608) 326-2721 or [email protected]

> d e C e m B e RDecember 1 – 2 the spirit of Christmas Paststroll the 1870s crossroads Village as you learn the origins of many of today’s beloved holiday customs. old World Wisconsin. noon – 4 p.m. (262) 594-6301 or [email protected]

December 1 – 2 Russian holiday dinnerexplore the culture, food and holiday customs of russian immigrants. old World Wisconsin. 4:30 – 7 p.m. $70. (262) 594-2922 or [email protected]

December 2 Russian holiday dinner matinéeexplore the culture, food and holiday customs of russian immigrants. old World Wisconsin. 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. $70. (262) 594-2922 or [email protected]

December 8 – 9 the spirit of Christmas Paststroll the 1870s crossroads Village as you learn the origins of many of today’s beloved holiday customs. old World Wisconsin. noon – 4 p.m. (262) 594-6301 or [email protected]

December 8 – 9 Russian holiday dinnerexplore the culture, food and holiday customs of russian immigrants. old World Wisconsin. 4:30 – 7 p.m. $70. (262) 594-2922 or [email protected]

Events Calendar

See page 9 for more October, November and December events.



Events Calendar

events and exhibits at the wisconsin historical MuseumAdmission by donation (unless otherwise noted)

Through august 31, 2013 Wisconsin Innovations: From the Iconic to the unexpectedDiscover the diverse array of inventions, concepts and traditions that originated, in one way or another, in wisconsin. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. tuesday through saturday

Through March 23, 2013 Bottoms up: a toast to Wisconsin’s historic Bars and Breweriesexplore wisconsin’s tavern culture through historic photos and breweriana, and discover how the state came to dominate the brewing industry. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. tuesday through saturday

october 16 history sandwiched In: Building taliesin Book talkauthor ron Mccrea tells the story of the building of frank lloyd wright’s Taliesin. 12:15 – 1 p.m.

october 25 – 26 halloween Fun: hauntings and Folk storiesenjoy spooky tales of haunted wisconsin on Thursday with folk stories and music on friday. 12:15 – 1 p.m. october 25 and 2 – 3 p.m. october 26

october 30 out of the northwoods: the many lives of Paul BunyanJoin author Michael edmonds for a look at the famed folk character’s wisconsin roots. 12:15 – 1 p.m.

october 31 halloween Fun: odd Wisconsinauthor erika Janik shares fun and surprising stories of the people, places and events of wisconsin’s past. 12:15 – 1 p.m.

November 10 Baubles and BlingJoin jewelry expert ann Koski as she explores the history of antique jewelry, and learn how to collect and care for your own treasures. 1 – 2:30 p.m. $25

November 13 German Immigrants and World War Iauthor stephanie Golightly lowden will discuss the political climate in wisconsin during world war i and how it impacted German americans. 12:15 – 1 p.m.

November 29 taste traditions of Wisconsin: Bottoms upJoin Jim Draeger and Mark speltz, co-authors of Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries, as they discuss their book, which celebrates wisconsin’s taverns and the breweries that fueled them, and enjoy a traditional wisconsin fish fry. 6 – 9:30 p.m. $25 (minus 10 percent for society members)

The museum is located at 30 North carroll street on Madison’s capitol square. for more information call (608) 264-6555, email [email protected] or visit wisconsinhistory.org/museum.

old world wisconsin Dinner Theater eventsyou won’t want to miss these two popular dinner theater shows. see page 11 for program descriptions. see below for dates, times and ticket prices.

halloween Dinner Theater: frankenstein• OctOber 12 – 14 – Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 5 and 8 p.m.,

Sunday 5 p.m.• OctOber 18 – 21 – Thursday and Friday 7 p.m., Saturday

5 and 8 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m.• OctOber 25 – 28 – Thursday and Friday 7 p.m., Saturday

5 and 8 p.m., Sunday 5 p.m.

holiday Dinner Theater: The Trial of ebenezer scrooge• NOvember 23 – 24 – Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 1 and 7 p.m.• NOvember 30 – DECEMBER 1 – Friday 7 p.m., Saturday

1 p.m.• December 2 – 2 p.m. (show only $25)• December 7 – 8 – Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.• December 9 – 2 p.m. (show only $25)• December 14 – 16 – Friday and Saturday 7 p.m., Sunday

5 p.m.

cost for each show, unless otherwise listed above, is $65 per person (adults), $50 per child (17 and under). Groups of 15 or more receive $5 off per ticket. call (262) 594-6301 for more information.



THE WISCONSIN AREA RESEARCH CENTER network is unique and thriving after 50 years. Where else but in Wisconsin can one find a network of 14 institutions sharing responsibility for preserving the state’s heritage and making it available statewide. The Wisconsin Historical Society is the hub of the network, with regional Area Research Centers (ARCs) on each of the four-year University of Wisconsin campuses and at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland. The network makes the Historical Society’s world-class collections easily accessible. The vast majority of the state’s residents live less than an hour from an ARC.

In 1962 the Society decided to convert declining local government records depositories on some of the state university campuses into active centers for support of research in history, the humanities and the social sciences. These ARCs have thrived based on three innovations: they house important manuscript collections in the regions where they originated; they employ staffing and facilities conducive to use; and they utilize a unique transfer system. The Society houses manuscript collections of regional focus at the appropriate ARC. Thus, collections documenting 150 years of lumbering in northern Wisconsin are not in Madison, but at centers in northern Wisconsin. Similarly, ARCs in southern areas of the state house collections documenting 19th-century wheat farming and the dairy revolution.

Using a formula that has created great stability in the network, the Society supplies the

collections that are the foundation of each ARC, and each network location provides the staff and facility necessary to access those collections. Today approximately twice as many individuals use collections at the ARCs than those who visit the Society’s Madison headquarters. The ARC network has proved remarkably effective at providing statewide access to manuscripts and local government records.

Through the ARC transfer system, students, faculty, genealogists and local historians anywhere in the state have easy access to more than 100,000 cubic feet of the Society’s archival holdings. A student in the forestry program at UW-Stevens Point can borrow lumber company collections from the ARCs at Eau Claire, Stout and La Crosse. A genealogist in Platteville can borrow Dane County naturalization records, or a local historian can borrow territorial records documenting early statehood, both normally housed in Madison.

“I have spent 30 years working with the ARCs,” said Rick Pifer, the director of public services for the Society’s library and archives. “They are remarkable programs providing world-class historical resources to their local campuses and communities. No other state provides this level of access.”

The centers serve patrons from all walks of life and all corners of the state. October is Archives Month and a suitable time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Area Research Center network •

SEEKING TO ENHANCE “future access for scholars and other researchers,” environmental historian William Cronon has donated the bulk of a vast personal library to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and to the Society’s North American history library. The distinguished Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography and Environmental Studies at UW–Madison, William “Bill” Cronon has been a long-time supporter of the libraries.

Librarians appreciate the historian’s egalitarian views concerning the gift. “I want these books to be used,” said Cronon, who previously donated

important collections about Native American and Alaskan history to the libraries. His most recent gift is a staggering personal research library containing more than 25,000 volumes, particularly strong on the history of conservation and environmentalism, nature writing, the American West, and political and intellectual history.

Cronon, who served four terms on the Society’s Board of Curators, received honors at the board’s June meeting, where he was named both a Society fellow and a curator emeritus. He is currently serving as president of the American Historical Association. •

area Research Centers Celebrate 50 Years

noted historian makes major donation of Books

News

Archivist Michael Doylen (left) assists a researcher exploring the collections available at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

UN

IVE

RS

ITY

OF

WIS

CO

NS

IN-M

ILW

AU

KE

E

William Cronon

Fall and spring Genealogy Classes available

The Society’s library and archives offer a series of classes to assist you in your research about your families. This fall and next spring you will have opportunities to learn where to begin your research, how to organize that research and how to make the most of the records found online and through the services of the library and archives. For details and more information about registering, go to wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/classes or call Lori Bessler at (608) 264-6519. If you want to receive email notifications of classes each semester, please email [email protected].



News

our Publications Will Continue to arrive by mail

Society members will continue to receive four seasonal issues of Columns in the mail along with the quarterly Wisconsin Magazine of History and other Society member communications. We recognize that some of our members prefer a bound publication to peruse at their leisure than an online alternative.

A DECADE AFTER the start of Old World Wisconsin’s Dinner Theater program and more than a century since theatrical shows were first performed on the stage of Old World Wisconsin’s Caldwell Farmers’ Club Hall, the outdoor museum is once again presenting classic Halloween and holiday stories to entertain and warm audiences preparing for a long Wisconsin winter.

FrankensteinAlmost 200 years ago, in the summer of 1816, 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (soon to become Mary Shelley) began to pen what would become, with the exception of Dracula, the most original, influential and famous horror novel ever written. This October Old World Wisconsin invites you to experience Frankenstein in three consecutive weekend showings. Show dates: October 12-28.

Be warned, however, if your familiarity with the Frankenstein story comes from the classic Boris Karloff movie and its numerous sequels, you may be in for a bit of a shock. Playwright R. N. Sandburg’s adaptation takes us back to Shelley’s novel, removing the Hollywood and restoring the humanity, the nightmare horror and the tragedy of the original masterwork.

There are no bolts in our creature’s neck, no sparking electrical machinery, no hordes of villagers with pitchforks and torches, no burning windmill. Instead, there are just people: a devoted father; a loving, adopted sister; a faithful

servant; an honest professor; a brave explorer and, raging amongst them, two lonely, desperate and frightened beings – creator and created, madman and monster, both tormentors and both tormented, father and son, Frankenstein and his creature.

The Trial of Ebenezer ScroogeFollowing the dark shudders of Frankenstein, Old World Wisconsin presents a comic twist on the story of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge by Mark Brown on four weekends in November and December. Show dates: November 23-December 16.

It’s one year after Ebenezer Scrooge’s encounter with Dickens’ Christmas Ghosts, and the worst has happened! Scrooge has reverted to his wicked ways, and he’s determined to bring suit against all the Ghosts of Christmas, including his deceased partner Jacob Marley, for breaking and entering, kidnapping, attempted murder, slander and intentional infliction of emotional distress. At stake in the trial is the survival of Christmas itself!

It’s a fresh look at a classic story, with enough suspense, surprises, silliness and sentimentality to keep you smiling with satisfaction throughout the show.

For complete information about the dates, times and costs of these reservation-only shows, see the events calendar on page 9 or visit the online events calendar at oldworldwisconsin.org. •

old World Wisconsin dinner theater events entertain and delight

A spooky graphic used to promote the Frankenstein Dinner Theater

A graphic depicting an accusatory Ebenezer Scrooge standing on the scales of justice

Columns moves to Quarterly PublicationColumns will continue to provide you with news on the Society’s ongoing work on a quarterly rather than bimonthly basis, in part because of the myriad electronic communication tools we now have in place: a soon-to-be-redesigned website that will more seamlessly make our collections available online, a growing collection of online historical images, and the electronic newsletters and social media that our various programs use to provide you with more interactive and customized news content.

We have made these and other changes in response to the needs of our members and our visitors. In order to see how you can subscribe to a variety of weekly or monthly electronic newsletters, just visit wisconsinhistory.org/newsletter, enter your email address and select the newsletters you would like to receive. If you use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, follow the links you’ll find on many of the subsections of our website at wisconsinhistory.org. You can find past issues of Columns online, too, at wisconsinhistory.org/help/newsletters. And you can search our archive of articles from past issues of the Wisconsin Magazine of History at wisconsinhistory.org/wmh.

Stay tuned to Columns, our website, our electronic newsletters and our social media sites to keep pace with the Society’s evolution in a rapidly changing world.



A MAGNIFICENT STEINWAY Model D grand piano, #39511, built in 1879, once again graces the elegant parlor of the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, thanks in large part to a partnership between the Society and Farley’s House of Pianos in Madison. The grand Victorian mansion, one of the most authentically furnished house museums in the nation, had been home to the piano since 1885 when the Dousman family, builders of the Villa Louis, relocated their household from St. Louis to Prairie du Chien. Over the next three decades both the Dousman family and their guests played and enjoyed the piano.

When the Dousmans’ household broke up in the early part of the 20th century, the piano went on loan to a boys’ prep school for several years before being returned to the Villa Louis in 1936 when the city of Prairie du Chien opened the restored mansion as a house museum. During the interim, the piano suffered significant damage. Still the piano saw use as a playable instrument well into the mansion’s tenure as a Wisconsin Historical Society-operated house museum, which began in 1952 when Villa Louis opened as the Society’s first historic site. By 1985, however,

the piano was so worn that it could no longer play. The grand instrument fell into silence.

In May 2011 Tim Farley of Farley’s House of Pianos responded to an invitation from the Villa Louis staff and paid a visit to Villa Louis to examine the Dousman piano. Months of discussion and planning followed, and in December of 2011 the piano was in Farley’s shop for much-needed restoration. After documentation of existing conditions and complete disassembly, the first major task was to precisely re-craft the sound board. The Steinway family built their piano dynasty by combining technological precision with the highest standards of artisan craftsmanship attainable. The Farley stable of artisans, technicians and craftsmen met the Steinway challenge and duplicated every component precisely as when the piano was new.

In June of this year the restored piano debuted in a recital in Madison, paired with a Model D Steinway owned by the Farleys, before heading back to Villa Louis where it has again taken its place as the grand centerpiece of the mansion’s stylish parlor. •

TWO RECENT $10,000 gifts have permanently endowed the Danky Fellowship, given annually to support research on mass communications, print history and related topics in the Society’s collections. The fellowship honors retired Society librarian James Danky, who specialized in collecting publications produced by marginalized communities and facilitating research in such materials. No historian does serious research on American women’s or minority history without consulting Danky’s books or examining the primary sources that he gathered while working at the Society.

Recent Danky Fellows have investigated 20th-century prisoners’ newspapers, 1960s Freedom School newsletters, and Vietnam soldiers’ anti-war publications.

The fellowship began in 2008 when a few of Danky’s friends and colleagues wanted to honor his achievements. Then, in 2011, the Hewlett-Packard Company donated $10,000

to the University of Wisconsin’s Center for the History of Print and Digital Culture, which co-sponsors the fellowship with the Society. Soon afterward Jim and his wife, Christine Schelshorn, complemented this with a similar gift of their own in order to permanently support research on the history of print and digital communications.

“Besides helping young scholars break new ground,” Danky observed recently, “we hope this will be an example to other people who would like to support research in their own areas of interest. We’d love to see an entire suite of research fellowships available through the Society.”

During his 35-year career, Danky raised more than $3 million in grants for the Society. He also taught journalism at the University of Wisconsin, won a Fulbright Fellowship, and produced reference books for Harvard University Press and G.K. Hall – all while adding more than 30,000 periodical titles to the Society’s library. •

Restored steinway Grand Piano Returns to the Villa louis

danky Fellowship endowed

News

Dousman family members gather round the Steinway piano in the parlor of the Villa Louis, 1890s

Jim Danky

The restoration of the Steinway grand piano was made possible by donations from the Friends of Villa Louis and the Jeffris Family Foundation.



What prompted you to become members of the Wisconsin historical society?We have long been appreciators of history. We formally joined one year ago but have been fans of the Wisconsin Historical Society for a very long time. We moved from Chicago to Fort Atkinson 10 years earlier and became active with the Hoard Historical Museum and the Fort Atkinson Historical Society, gradually learning more and more Wisconsin history as we visited other sites. We were invited to become members last year during our visit to Villa Louis. After 10 years, we were overdue to join!

how did you first discover the Wisconsin historical society?Ann first learned about the Society when she was in college. She used the stacks for research and quiet study and also used the photo archives for a class project.

Then in 2001, when Andy retired from Public Television in Chicago, we moved to Fort Atkinson. Ann worked with Wisconsin Public Television and the Wisconsin Cultural Coalition — of which the Society is a member — to create the Web resource, Portal Wisconsin. And Andy went back to work at Wisconsin Public Radio, where he is on-air host of classical music six days a week. We soon became involved with the Hoard Historical Museum and its collections of Native American, Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Lorine Niedecker, and dairy exhibits and events. Andy has also been actively involved

with the Fort Atkinson Historical Society as president of the Board of Directors.

A few years ago, we gave Ann’s parents a “Let’s Go” package of tours and events for Christmas. We accompanied them to a genealogy briefing at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s headquarters in Madison. It was on that day when we discovered all of the treasures and resources the Society offers in addition to the lessons in researching genealogy.

What is the best thing you’ve ever found out or learned from the Wisconsin historical society?The best thing we’ve learned from the Society is the story behind poet Lorine Niedecker (1903 — 1970). She lived on Black Hawk Island near Fort Atkinson for most of her life and celebrated the sights and sounds of this place in poems ranked among the 20th century’s finest. The importance of her paean to the area, its history, culture and people has inspired the Wisconsin Poetry Festival, held in Fort Atkinson every fall. Ann is president of the Friends of Lorine Niedecker, coordinates the festival, cares for the archived collection at the library, and contributes to the collection at the museum. Lorine’s story and Blackhawk Island are important to Wisconsin history — and are recognized as such with a state historical marker at her cabin.

What does history mean to you?It is fascinating to learn what our ancestors did with their lives and loves, the conditions they faced and the work

they did through the centuries, leaving us with their legacies.

Ann’s mother made feminist history with her “Bra Banner,” made in the form of the American flag that she titled “The Land of the Freed-up Woman.” Today this piece is archived in the Society’s collections and was part of the Wisconsin Historical Museum’s Odd Wisconsin exhibit. The banner, which was controversial when it was first displayed, was controversial again recently when a high school women’s studies program used it as inspiration to create their own.

History can inspire us to contribute to our community. Generations of stories teach us how we can make a difference. These stories help us appreciate who we are and why; and it enables wisdom if we are open to learning. •

meet: ann engelman and andy Yocom

Members since 2011

Member Profile

leave a lasting legacy – Join the Robert B.l. murphy legacy Circle

Leaving a legacy often means handing down what we value most. For many of us, that includes making certain that our children and grandchildren will inherit our precious history and heritage.

You can help ensure the Wisconsin Historical Society’s ability to collect, preserve and share stories by remembering the Society in your will, naming it as a beneficiary of your retirement plan, or establishing a life-income or other planned gift. For more information about the various ways you can support the Society through gift planning, please contact Juliet Page at (608) 264-6580 or via email at [email protected].



members Celebrate the Release of Green Bay Packers: trials, triumphs, and tradition at lambeau Field on July 23

Wisconsin Historical Foundation

To learn more about the book or to purchase a copy, visit wisconsinhistory.org/shop or call toll free (888) 999-1669.

(Above) From left to right: Ellsworth Brown, The Ruth and Hartley Barker Director of the Society; Lombardi-era Packer Jim Temp; Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy; and author William Povletich

(Right) From left to right: Chris Berry, Caitie Berry and Ryan Berry

(Above) From left to right: Therese Stevens; Judy and Don Taylor

(Top) Vicki and Glen Slaats

(Middle) From left to right: Mary Ann Hill, Crystal Powless and Anna Powless

(Bottom) From left to right: Chip Manthey, Larry Carpenter, Andy Thyes and Justin Key



Society Headquarters816 state st.Madison, wi 53706General information: (608) 264-6400LIBRARY (608) 264-6534ARCHIVES (608) 264-6460

regular hours:8aM - 9PM Monday-Thursday8aM - 5PM friday and saturday

Wisconsin Historical Foundation(608) 261-9364

Historic Sites and Museumscircus world 550 water st., Baraboo, wi(866) 693-1500

first capitolcounty hwy. G, Belmont, wi(608) 987-2122

h.h. Bennett studio215 Broadway, wisconsin Dells, wi (608) 253-3523

Madeline island Museum 226 col. woods ave., la Pointe, wi(715) 747-2415

old world wisconsin w372 s9727 hwy. 67, eagle, wi(262) 594-6301

Pendarvis114 shake rag st., Mineral Point, wi(608) 987-2122

reed schoolu.s. hwy. 10 & cardinal ave., Neillsville, wi(608) 253-3523

StAtEWIdE PRogRAMS And LoCAtIonS

stonefield12195 hwy. VV, cassville, wi(608) 725-5210

Villa louis 521 N. Villa louis rd., Prairie du chien, wi(608) 326-2721

wade housew7824 center st., Greenbush, wi(920) 526-3271

wisconsin historical Museum30 N. carroll st. Madison, wi 53703(608) 264-6555 hours: 9aM-4PM Tuesday-saturday wisconsinhistory.org/museumMuseum store (888) 999-1669

Area Research Centerswisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/arcnet

Affiliated Historical Societies

Active Historic Preservation Commissions

Participating national History day Schools

Fourth-grade textbook In Use

national Register Listings

L E g E n d

H.H. Bennett Studio

Superior puBlic liBrary

nortHern Great lakeS ViSitor center

UW StevenS Point

UW oShkoSh

UW Green Bay

UW river FallS UW StoUt

UW eaU Claire

UW laCroSSe

UW MilWaUkee

UW WhiteWater

UW ParkSideUW Platteville

Madeline iSland MuSeuM

pendarViS

Stonefield firSt capitol

old World WiSconSin

reed ScHool

Wade HouSe

circuS World

Villa louiS


ColumnsPublished Quarterly by the Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters Building | 816 State Street | Madison, WI 53706

Periodical Class

Did you know?Did you know?

thank you for joining the movement!On June 30, the Wisconsin Historical Society completed its historic Forward! Campaign, securing gifts and pledges of $77.6 million, exceeding its $77 million goal! Thank you so much for your support and for daring to dream big with us.

Read more about the story on pages 2 and 3.

• The recent completion of the society’s Forward! campaign simply would not have been possible without support from the state of wisconsin and the society’s members, donors, advocates, volunteers, leaders and so many others.

• in the wisconsin historical society’s 166-year history, the Forward! campaign represents our first major philanthropic initiative.

• “forward” has been wisconsin’s state motto since 1851, reflecting the character of our state and our continuous drive to be a national leader and a model to others.

sign up for the society’s e-newsletter!Get all the latest Society news, information and upcoming events delivered to your email inbox every Friday morning. The e-newsletter will also point you to popular features on our website including Odd Wisconsin and This Day in Wisconsin History. Sign up at wisconsinhistory.org.


in this issue: 3resume to: nominating committee chair, c/o margaret maly, wisconsin historical...

Documents